Alexei Kornev is an international grandmaster and coach. In 2001 he took the silver in the Russian Cup Final. He is also the winner of a number of international tournaments. Highest Elo so far - 2582.
For many years, he has been the senior coach of the junior chess school in the city of Vladimir. His students are often among the Russian junior championships for boys and girls.
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This hefty book offers the results of S.Soloviov's ten-year-long investigation of a nearly virgin territory of chess theory - 1.e4 c5 2.a3. This is a more flexible version of the Sicilian Gambit with 2.b4 as the play often takes original courses.
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The Nimzo-Larsen Attack is an ideal opening choice for players keen to avoid mainline theory but still wanting to set their opponents problems from the outset. In the Nimzo-Larsen, White begins 1 b3 and then develops in hypermodern fashion – planning to undermine any central structures Black dares to erect. A key attraction of the Nimzo-Larsen is that White can steer the game into either sharp play or elaborate strategic battles. In this book, International Master Cyrus Lakdawala invites you to join him in examining the many different variations of the Nimzo-Larsen. Lakdawala studies the typical plans and tactics for both sides, offers repertoire options for White, provides answers to all the key questions and tells you everything you need to know about playing the Nimzo-Larsen Attack. Learn More

With keen appreciation of the amateur's usual limitations, International Grandmaster Eugene Znosko Borovsky explains the importance of rapid development of the pieces, occupation of the center, the relation of the opening to the general plan of the player, and significance of control of the center.

This book takes a detailed look at a system that has been favored by Karpov, Spassky, Portisch, and Gligoric, among others. The rerouting of black's queenside knight from c6-b8-d7 and sometimes to c5 aims to put pressure on white's center, particularly the e4 strongpoint. This books offers a solid system for Ruy Lopez players. Learn More

The variations of the Sicilian in which Black sets up a pawn centre with ...e6 and ...d6 have been popularized by such fighting players as Kasparov and Andersson. The play can become extremely sharp and many lines have been analyzed to move 20. This comprehensive work provides everything the modern tournament player needs to know about the Scheveningen and only a Grandmaster of the calibre of Kasparov can provide the strategy explanation necessary for an opening of this complexity.

The Ponziani (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.c3)has been an opening that has been overlooked frequently through the years. However it was played quite frequently throughout the 80's in Master-level and above tournament play. White has many ways to challenge each variant of Black's setup. Harding shows that Black's game is not as easy as many Black theorists would want you to believe. Learn More

This edition is a good guide to show the players the ideas in one of the most classic, solid openings against the Classic White's King's pawn setup. All the important variations are covered in Harding's classic style. Learn More

A complete opening system with White playing 1.e4. The author tells you what to play against each possible Black defense. His recommendations are not carved in stone so you can keep what you like and change the ones that do not appeal to you. If you play the "peak-a-boo" opening, you will want to change to the dynamic 1.e4! Start winning games! Learn More

"In this book, we shall provide the student with an unbeatable system for the white pieces after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3. We teach you how to play against the Hungarian Defense, the Philidor Defense, the Latvian Gambit, and the Petroff Defenses. This gets us to the main lines, the Three Knights and Four Knights Game with the Belgrade Gambit included(the 1st time GM Evans ever recommended a gambit!). These 'hold the draw in hand and go for the win' openings have been researched like never before. There is more dynamic play, for those that know them, than ever realized. Here is something to build on if later in your career you want to head for the Giuoco Piano or Ruy Lopez." - Ken Smith. Learn More

This modern variation goes 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 e6 5.Nc3 a6. It deals with all of the plans that both White and Black can choose. The author gives many suggestions for new lines of exploration, and gives exceptionally clear explanations of the basic strategies of the system. There are a number of illustratives games which show how the Taimanov strategies carry through to the middlegame and which will give you a genuine understanding of the system. Learn More

All successful players, from Grandmasters all the way down to club players, rely on an opening repertoire which is designed to produce the type of position that suits their style of play. This book is written for the kind of player who revels in complex tactical positions and who wants to attack from the word 'go'. Learn More

It's time to change your White opening or at least have a second one to diversify your opening system. No longer are the openings in the book called "Irregular" because GM's and IM's are playing them. Covered are the dynamic 1.b4!, the aggressive Grob's Attack 1.g4!, the surprisingly excellent Queen's Knight Attack 1.Nc3!, slow stuff 1.e3 and 1.d3 and 1.a3, & the disreputable 1.h4 & other white first moves. Learn More

The title is to make it strong and clear it is written from the White side. You do not have to wade through page after page, suggestion after suggestion, to find the best White continuations. The analysis will show you how to get an advantage with White by getting you through the opening against all Black variations. White plays 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 followed by 3.Ne2, with the flexible option to break through with d4 if desired. Learn More

Schiller delivers with this book with your first move being 1.e4. This book tells you how to: (1) Beat 1..e5 with the Bishop Opening with some transposition into the Scotch Game; (2) Against 1..c5 with the Closed Sicilian like Spassky; (3) Go after the Caro-Kann with the Exchange Variation, a favorite of Fischer's; (4) Beat the French with three different variations depending on what black does; (5) Play the aggressive "Push" Variation against the Alekhine's Defense; (6)The best line against the Franco-Indian; (7) Against the Modern and Pirc Defenses you will play the Grand Prix Attack; (8)Schiller has some surprises when black plays the Scandinavian Defense(1.e4 d5). Schiller gives a complete and exciting repertoire for all 1.e4 players! Learn More

This book covers the Vienna Game and Vienna Gambit along with variations that transpose into the King's Gambit(such as improvements for white in the Steinitz Variation). Force your opponent into lines that you know and are familiar with after 1.e4 e5 2.Nc3, with a quick f4 frequently following. This is certainly an excellent choice for the attacking player! Learn More

In this Chess Openings for Hustlers Volume II the author looks at both the Accepted 3.exd6 and the Declined 3.Nf3 and 3.Bf4. The idea of this gambit is well worth the effort of the player who wants to learn an aggressive Black defense against 1.d4 where white doesn't control the flow of the game. The book contains 155 games divided into variations with light analysis played by a variety of players ranging from Master to class C. A player index has been provided which lists players grouped by "Class" to help the reader evaluate the games. Learn More

GM Soltis states: "Every chessplayer dreams of finding an opening that plays itself. After awhile the novice player learnes this is an impossible dream. There are, however, some universal systems of development that a player can adopt when he has the white pieces." By combining three aggressive, easy to understand openings, the author delivers. Not only does Soltis give you opening analysis and ideas, each chapter has Middlegame strategy. Learn More

Part One:1.e4 c5 2.c3 has gained a wide following through the years. White enjoys the central space advantage conferred by a classical pawn center. With rapid piece development, White will get the advantage against anything Black can play. Part Two: 1.e4 c5 2.d4 exd4 3.c3 and Black declines with 3..Nf6, or 3..d3, or 3..d5. We show you how one system transposes into another and when it can't. In all cases, White will obtain promising vistas for dynamic play. Learn More

With the Dutch Defense as Black having a revival at GM level, it is time for a rehabilitation of Bird's Opening 1.f4. The extra move White has makes a big difference. Soltis covers how White should play in: Part 1 :Black Doesn't Fianchetto His King's Bishop. Part 2: Black Plays Modern Systems Including ...g6. Part 3: From's Gambity(a hard gambit to meet - here is how GM's play against it). Part 4: Other Defenses Black May Play. Learn More

The opening is one of the most important parts of the chess game. Weaken your pawns by mistake, and they're taken. Attack wildly and haphazzardly, and your pieces are picked off. Misuse your queen and she's trapped. Carelessly neglect development and you're mated. You've scarely begun, and the game is over. Fortunately, National Master Bruce Pandolfin's More Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps 2, offers drills and skills to help players of all levels avoid these perils and pitfalls.

No matter what white plays, you are given a black winning answer. Many games of the strong GM Dutch defense expert Malaniuk are given. Also games by leading GM's such as Ivanchuk, Beliavsky, and Bareev are demonstrated. This book shows how to play one of the most dynamic, strategically rich defenses in chess. Learn More

International Chess Enterprises:"Just as every golfer who wants to lower his score practices chipping and putting above all, the ambitious chess player studies the opening. Covering all openings, this book provides and concise and authoritative summary of the best opening moves. No attempt is made to explain the reason behind the moves, though all variations are evaluated using internationally-accepted language-less symbols, thoroughly explained in the preface. The tournament player who wished to brush up on his favorite opening cannot do better than to take a look at Inside Chess Openings before the game." Learn More

GM Soltis: "Against the King's Indian Defense and the Benoni Group(all of them: Czech, Modern, etc..)there is a simple, relatively new, yet ambitious setup that can be played effectively against each member of the family...the key element here is the bishop on d3(5.Bd3!)". This book also tells you how to play against the Old Indian and Modern defenses. Learn More

New opening ideas are created frequently, but few have had the meteoric career of Nigel Short's system against the Caro-Kann defense. Virtually unknown before 1988, it has become a regular customer in super tournaments since the 1990's. And yet it is so simple to handle that a Class B player can master most of the strategies in an afternoon. The British GM's system consists of playing the Advance variation of the Caro-Kann with a relatively modest form of development- modest yet it can pack quite a wallop. What short discovered was not just a new move, but a new concept. Despite the presence of the annoying bishop on the excellent b1-h7 diagonal, Black had not equalized, he announced. Short demonstrated that the bishop could, in fact, become a liability that would be attacked in the general expansion of white's pawns on the kingside. 1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 Bf5(as well as 3..c5 and 3..Na6)-new strategy against each one. Learn More

GM Soltis: "If white gets to attack in the Sicilian Defense anyway, why should he offer a pawn or two for the privilege? The answer is that black gets to counterplay in the Sicilian and his counterplay is usually as good as white's. That, in fact, is what makes the Sicilian popular. There are plenty of familiar Sicilian gambits(like the Smith Morra and Wing, which this book doesn't even cover). But in the last few years, a number of new ideas arising out of positional variations, have been discovered and found to pack a wallop for white". Here are six new white gambits against the Sicilian that the reader will have to attempt to destroy black! Learn More

Chess Opening Books

The first phase of a chess game is known as the Chess Opening. It is during
this phase of the chess game that the initial moves are made. Similarly, those
moves are commonly referred to in the chess world as the “Chess Opening”.
While there are literally billions of possible positions after the first 4 moves
have been made in a game of chess (288 billion to be exact), only a small number
of these chess openings have been studied by chess professionals and chess
computers and deemed to be sound for practical play.

To help differentiate one chess opening from another, each chess opening is
given a unique name to identify it. While it is common for a chess opening to be
named after the player/s that introduced them to popular play, including the
Benko Gambit (after Grandmaster Pal Benko), the Sicilian Najdorf (named
after Grandmaster Miguel Najdorf) and the Philidor Defense (named after Francois-Andre
Danican Philidor), this is not always the case Some chess openings are named
after the locations and/or cultures in which they originated, including the
London System, the French Defense, the Sicilian
Defense, The English Opening and
the Vienna Game. While others are named after the pieces that are moved during
that opening, including the Queen’s Pawn Gambit and the King’s Indian
Defense.

There are 6 basic objectives during the chess opening. They are Piece
Development, Control of the Center of the Board, King Safety, Prevention of Pawn
Weakness, Piece Coordination and to Create positions in which the player is more
comfortable than the opponent.

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